New Delhi: Apple might be preparing to break one of its longest-running product traditions this year. According to some sources and reports, it has been suggested that the company is unlikely to introduce the standard iPhone 18 model this year, signalling a potential overhaul of its familiar annual iPhone release schedule. While the iPhone 17 lineup enjoyed the strong momentum by following its debut in 2025, the next base model upgrade may take considerably longer to arrive.
Some rumours also noted that the standard iPhone 18 is now expected to launch in early 2027, which means that the iPhone 17 could remain Apple’s newest non-Pro option for more than a year and a half. If this timeline holds, it would be the first instance in which Apple skips an entire calendar year without refreshing its flagship standard iPhone. Over the past decades, Apple has consistently unveiled its full iPhone lineup each September by introducing all versions simultaneously. This approach now appears to be changing. Apple is moving toward a staggered launch strategy, splitting iPhone releases across different months of the year rather than concentrating them into a single event in the fall.
Under this model, premium devices would continue to take priority in the autumn, while more affordable or mainstream versions would follow later. Apple is not expected to ship the standard iPhone 18 in 2026. Reports also suggested that the company plans to debut the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, along with the first foldable iPhone, during the usual fall window. The regular iPhone 18 would then arrive several months later, launching in spring 2027, together with the iPhone 18 and the second-generation iPhone Air.
This latest shift is closely linked to Apple’s rapidly expanding iPhone portfolio; models like iPhone 16e and iPhone Air were also added in the year 2025, and the rumoured foldable iPhone is expected to debut in 2026. While the older devices like the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus remain on sale, Apple could be offering as many as eight different iPhone models at the same time by the end of next year. And one of the reasons could be that spreading launches across the calendar would help to reduce overlap between models, extend their individual selling periods, and make the lineup easier to position.
